An employee was operating a side loader in a narrow aisle in the warehouse to move steel plates. When they approached a plate had not been placed squarely on the rack, the mast of the forklift started to push it making a scraping noise. They called the injured employee over to investigate the noise. The steel plate then fell to the ground and struck the foot of the injured employee. The steel toe of their right protective footwear was ejected from the force of the falling plate and they sustained one toe amputation and two with severe lacerations/crushing injuries.